EL CAJON VOTERS TO WEIGH CITY CHARTER

Council puts it on June ballot; would give more independence; labor unions opposed

El Cajon 
El Cajon voters will decide come June whether their city should gain a measure of independence and operate under its own charter.

The City Council decided Tuesday to place a measure on the June 5 ballot that would shift the town from a general law to a charter community, a move that would shift the legal underpinnings of its government.

A general law city draws its powers from the state; a charter allows it to have more direct authority over its affairs.

So what’s the downside?

At an afternoon hearing, labor union representatives complained that the charter drafted by the city would exempt it from having to pay state-mandated wages on some projects.

Tom Lemmon, with the San Diego County Building and Construction Trades Council, framed the proposal as an “attack on workers” that would undercut job opportunities, along with the local economy.

He and other critics said cities that drop the prevailing wage requirement fail to get the level of savings they hoped for.

But proponents argued the city needs more flexibility in funding improvements, such as road paving and the construction of public buildings. They said the state’s prevailing wage requirements are not in the interests of local taxpayers.

Elan Schier, a construction bid estimator, said he expected the city would save 10 percent to 30 percent on projects that don’t require state-dictated wages.

“Going to a charter is going to allow more projects to be built,” he told the council.

Councilman Bill Wells, who shepherded the charter proposal, made the motion to place the item on the ballot. It passed 5-0.

He said it would help the city gain some autonomy from lawmakers in Sacramento. “The whole reason we’re doing this is because as a city we need to proclaim (our right) to self-rule,” he told colleagues.

Placing the measure on the June primary ballot will cost the city between $60,000 and $75,000, officials estimate.

Voters will also be asked to approve the charter itself, a 7-page document drafted by the city. The charter includes language exempting the city from state laws tied to locally funded public-works projects.

General law cities are bound by laws passed by the state Legislature, while charter communities operate under a voter-approved “charter.”

One in four cities in California is governed by a charter, including Chula Vista and San Diego. Santee and Oceanside have switched over within the last few years.